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Nightmaws are bipedal quadrupeds, standing on powerful back legs that bear most of their weight.[1] They have long necks and would be as tall as a tree if they stood upright, but they instead they lean forward in a predatory posture. Despite their large size, the nightmaws are also very fast. A nightmaw's two clawed forelegs hanging low, tearing up the ground when they move. They have a gruesome head with razor sharp beaks are as tall as a door. A nightmaw's skin is leathery and bumpy, like a plucked bird.

Nightmaws are nocturnal, they do all of their hunting at night.[1] Many of a nightmaw's normal senses are relatively dull; they are almost completely deaf and blind. However their sense of smell is incredible and they have the ability to track minds, detecting the Cognitive Aspects of their prey. This makes them deadly predators, if a nightmaw sees their prey they are almost certainly slated for death. They are also clever for beasts, in fact some think nightmaws have begun to realize that humans make use of the mind-shielding Aviar and can only be tracked by scent. A trapper's only option is to avoid them or die. Their thick skin is nearly impervious to regular bladed weapons, although it is vulnerable to larger gunpowder-based weapons such as Vathi's spear canon. The nightmaw's skill at hunting makes it the apex predator on at least Patji, although it is uncertain if they exist on any of the other islands of the Pantheon.

They call out with a horrible screech when they detect prey or are attempting to scare their prey.[1] One of their chief prey are herds of krell, which often sleep beneath Aviar nests to keep their minds hidden from the nightmaws. A nightmaw's screech can scare away the nesting Aviar, revealing the locations of the sleeping krell. A dying nightmaw may also screech in a different way, quieter but more horrible and chilling, which may call other nearby nightmaws.

When Vathi and Sixth of the Dusk crossed Patji at night to prevent employees of the Northern Interests Trading Company from engaging the machine from the Ones Above, a nightmaw came across their trail. It followed them, bursting out of the trees and surprising them. However, Vathi shot it with her spear canon, mortally wounding it. In its death throes, its call attracted other nightmaws from across the island. Dusk and Vathi fled up the canyon to Patji's Eye, pursued by the other nightmaws. Trapped in the pool, Vathi and Sixth lashed one of the blooming flowers from Patji's Fingers to a spear and fired it from the gun. As the flowers mimic a Cognitive aspect, the nightmaws were distracted by the flower and followed it away, allowing Dusk and Vathi to escape.